L.A. Confidential

B-Diddy is coming home. And he is bringing his beard with him. Can this possibly be true? Did the Clippers just make a big free agent signing? Umm, come again?

I don't know what to feel right now. Incredulity is dominating my emotions. Perhaps Clippers owner Donald Sterling lost a bet in a poker game. Perhaps he is starting his own version of Punk'd and this is all part of an elaborate scheme to excite the Clipper Nation into believing there is hope only to somehow pull the rug out from underneath them in the end. That's when Elton Brand enters and a little thing called Free Agency takes over...

It almost makes perfect sense that the Golden State Warriors and Don Nelson would act in this fashion. Child-like comes to mind. You take our guy, we take yours mentality. It seems that they are the leading candidate in the How-Much-Can-I-Pay-Elton sweepstakes that is estimated to reach $90 Million dollars over 5 years. This just so happens to be about $20 Million MORE than the Clippers current offer to big EB. And so the hope that brilliantly illuminated Clipper Nation in the hours following the Baron Davis signing has started dimming. And all that remains is questions... Will Elton Brand remain loyal to his image and choose to stay a Clipper as he promised the fans and the management? It seems the team has come through with their end of the bargain, bringing in Davis and improving their status as a contender in the West. Now it is up to Brand.

Maybe the Clippers find a way to increase the deal on their side and get the numbers closer. Maybe Brand is content taking less money (a lot less money) to play along side Davis and keep his reputation as a man of his word intact. After all, this Clippers lineup with Baron and Brand is no slouch. Suddenly you are looking at veteran leadership from both the PG and the PF positions. An inside out combo to be reckoned with. I like. Not to mention a dynamite one-two punch off the court as well. We may have to start revisiting which team exactly is the Hollywood team in La La Land. What with Brand and Davis both producing hit movies this past year (Rescue Dawn and Made in America, respectively). It appears they are taking the whole Star Power thing to another level. Don't be surprised if Kobe appears in the next Spike Lee joint.
And so the waiting continues till at least this Wednesday for Clippers fans. Hopefully Brand can give Clipper Nation one more reason to believe that they are not just the lovable losers of the NBA. Perhaps he can be the professional athlete willing to play for something more than just money that we all believed he was. I, for one, still believe.